tonight, national security correspondent jennifer griffin has the story of a soldier recognized for going far beyond the call of duty. >> reporter: soldiers call it the most dangerous place in the world. the war documentary illustrated how dangerous it was in afghanistan. a lot of men became heroes out there. just one was chose p for the medal of honor, the first living recipient of the nation's highest medal for valor since vietnam. 25-year-old staff sergeant justa from cedar rapids, iowa assigned to the 173rd airborne brigade in italy told us what he remembered october 25th, 2007 when he rescued two fl low soldiers while taking heavy enemy fire. >> we walked into an l-shaped ambush. you could see the muzzle flashes from bullets leaving the enemy's guns that weren't too far away. everyone was at risk. sometimes they whistled, sometimes they cracked. so close you got hit, but not hurt close, and the close where it snaps by your head, but you're not hit. and then there's the whiz, that's a little bit further away than the crack. >> reporter: he saw sergeant josh brennan hauled away by the